Charlene
( ;
[Since her marriage, her name has been Gallicised by adding a ]grave accent
The grave accent () ( or ) is a diacritical mark used to varying degrees in French, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Catalan and many other Western European languages as well as for a few unusual uses in English. It is also used in other ...
to her name in French documents. born Charlene Lynette Wittstock, 25 January 1978) is
Princess of Monaco as the wife of
Prince Albert II. Before her marriage, Charlene was an Olympic swimmer representing
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
.
Charlene was born in
Bulawayo
Bulawayo (, ; ) is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council claimed it to be about ...
,
Rhodesia
Rhodesia ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state, unrecognised state in Southern Africa that existed from 1965 to 1979. Rhodesia served as the ''de facto'' Succession of states, successor state to the ...
(now
Zimbabwe
file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map
Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...
). She relocated to
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
in 1989. She began her swimming career in 1996 (winning the South African Championship) and represented
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
at the
2000 Sydney Olympics, with her team finishing fifth in the
4 × 100-metre medley relay. Charlene retired from professional swimming in 2007.
Charlene met Prince Albert at the
Mare Nostrum
In the Roman Empire, () was a term that referred to the Mediterranean Sea. Meaning "Our Sea" in Latin, it denoted the body of water in the context of borders and policy; Ancient Rome, Rome remains the only state in history to have controlled th ...
swimming competition in
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo ( ; ; or colloquially ; , ; ) is an official administrative area of Monaco, specifically the Ward (country subdivision), ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally, the name also refers to ...
,
Monaco
Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...
, in 2000.
The couple
married on 1 July 2011. On 10 December 2014, she gave birth to twins
Princess Gabriella and
Hereditary Prince Jacques. Princess Charlene's charity work primarily revolves around sports,
AIDS
The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
, and underprivileged children.
Charlene founded the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation in 2012 to support her personal
humanitarian
Humanitarianism is an ideology centered on the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotiona ...
endeavours.
Early life and family
Charlene Lynette Wittstock was born on 25 January 1978 at
Mater Dei Hospital in
Bulawayo
Bulawayo (, ; ) is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council claimed it to be about ...
,
Rhodesia
Rhodesia ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state, unrecognised state in Southern Africa that existed from 1965 to 1979. Rhodesia served as the ''de facto'' Succession of states, successor state to the ...
(now Zimbabwe),
to Michael Kenneth Wittstock (b. 1946), a sales manager, and Lynette, née Humberstone (b. 1954), a former competitive diver and swimming coach.
The Wittstock family is of
German origin; Wittstock's great-great-grandparents Martin Gottlieb Wittstock (1840–1915) and his wife Johanne Luise Wittstock (''née'' Schönknecht; 1850–1932) emigrated to South Africa from the
Pomerania
Pomerania ( ; ; ; ) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The central and eastern part belongs to the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, West Pomeranian, Pomeranian Voivod ...
n village of
Zerrenthin in northern Germany in 1861 to escape hardship. In South Africa, the Wittstocks worked as handyworkers and unsuccessfully prospected for diamonds.
In 2014, she was given a certificate that verified her Irish ancestry.
Wittstock has two younger brothers: Gareth, a
coffeehouse
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café (), is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino, among other hot beverages. Many coffeehouses in West Asia offer ''shisha'' (actually called ''nargi ...
businessman in Monaco, and Sean, a promotions and events businessman in South Africa.
The family relocated to South Africa in 1989, when Wittstock was 12 years old.
She attended Tom Newby Primary school in
Benoni, near
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
, from 1988 to 1991.
Swimming career
Wittstock won three gold medals and a silver medal at the
1999 All-Africa Games in
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
. She represented South Africa at the
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
and
2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XVII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Manchester 2002, were an international multi-sport event for the members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth held in Manchester, England, ...
, winning a silver medal in the 4 × 100 m medley relay in the latter competition. She also was a member of the
South African women's 4×100 m medley team at the
2000 Summer Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...
, which finished fifth. Wittstock finished sixth at the
2002 FINA Short Course World Championships for the 200 m breaststroke. Throughout her career, Wittstock gave swimming lessons to underprivileged children.
She left her Durban-based team (the Seagulls) to join the Tuks Swimming Club at the High Performance Centre of the
University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria (, ) is a multi-campus public university, public research university in Pretoria, the administrative and ''de facto'' capital of South Africa. The university was established in 1908 as the Pretoria campus of the Johan ...
. However, she never enrolled in classes. The Club sponsored her by providing her with free access to their pools, free coaching, accommodation, and gymnasium access.
Wittstock decided to leave Pretoria in January 2005, and returned to Durban; she then went to the north coast of
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN) is a Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu people, Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu language, Zulu) and ...
, where she joined a former University of Pretoria swimming coach, Branislav Ivkovic. On 13 April 2007, Wittstock regained her title as South Africa's 50-metre women's backstroke champion when she completed the 50 m backstroke final at the
Telkom SA National Aquatic Championships in 30:16 seconds, to finish third behind Australia's
Sophie Edington
Sophie Jane Edington (born 12 December 1984) is an Australian backstroke and freestyle swimming (sport), swimmer.
Biography
Edington trained at the Kingscliff ASC club under Greg Salter. After Salter took up an overseas coaching role Edington ...
and Brazil's
Fabíola Molina
Fabíola Pulga Molina (born May 25, 1975 in São José dos Campos, São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Brazil) is a butterfly swimming, butterfly and backstroke swimmer from Brazil, who competed at the Swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics, 2000, Swi ...
. She planned to compete in the
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fro ...
in China as her swansong, but did not qualify.
Previously, Wittstock had been out of competitive swimming for 18 months with a shoulder injury.
[
]
Marriage
Wittstock met Albert II, Prince of Monaco
Albert II (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi; born 14 March 1958) is Prince of Monaco, reigning since 2005.
Born at the Prince's Palace of Monaco, Albert is the second child and only son of Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace. He attend ...
, in 2000 at the Mare Nostrum
In the Roman Empire, () was a term that referred to the Mediterranean Sea. Meaning "Our Sea" in Latin, it denoted the body of water in the context of borders and policy; Ancient Rome, Rome remains the only state in history to have controlled th ...
swimming meet in Monaco. They made their public debut as a couple at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics. She accompanied him to the weddings of the Crown Princess of Sweden
This page is a list of heirs to the Swedish throne. The list includes all individuals who were considered to Inheritance, inherit the Monarchy of Sweden, throne of the Kingdom of Sweden, either as heir apparent or as heir presumptive, since the ac ...
in 2010 and of the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...
in 2011.
On 23 June 2010, the palace announced their engagement. Her engagement ring featured a pear-shaped three-carat diamond at the centre and surrounding diamond brilliants. The ring was reported to be created by Parisian jeweller Repossi. Wittstock, who was raised a Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
, converted to Catholicism, despite it not being a requirement in the Constitution of Monaco
The Constitution of Monaco, first adopted in 1911 after the Monégasque Revolution and heavily revised by Prince Rainier III on 17 December 1962, outlines three branches of government, including several administrative offices and a number of co ...
.
The future princess was also instructed in French and the Monégasque dialect
Monégasque (, ; , ; ) is the variety of Ligurian spoken in Monaco. It is closely related to the Ligurian dialects spoken in Ventimiglia and is considered a national language of Monaco, though it is not the official language of the countr ...
, and became familiar with European court protocol.
The wedding was scheduled for 8 and 9 July 2011, but was moved forward to prevent a conflict with the International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...
(IOC) meeting in Durban
Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal.
Situated on the east coast of South ...
on 5–9 July, which they both attended. The couple had invited members of the IOC, including President Jacques Rogge, to their wedding.
The couple was married in a civil ceremony on 1 July 2011 in the Throne Room of the Prince's Palace. The religious ceremony took place in the courtyard of the palace on 2 July, and was presided over by Archbishop Bernard Barsi. The couple honeymooned in Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...
.
On 30 May 2014, the palace announced Charlene's pregnancy. It was confirmed on 9 October 2014 that the couple was expecting twins by the end of the year. On 10 December 2014, her twins were born at The Princess Grace Hospital Centre
The Princess Grace Hospital Centre (, CHPG), named after Grace Kelly, is the only public hospital in Monaco.
History
The hospital was opened in 1902 by Albert I, Prince of Monaco, Prince Albert I as the Monaco Hospital. A service of pediatrics wa ...
. Princess Gabriella was born first, followed by Hereditary Prince Jacques, who is heir apparent
An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...
to the throne.
Princess of Monaco
Since 2009, she has been honorary president of Ladies Lunch Monte-Carlo. Since 2010, Princess Charlene has been associated with the Nelson Mandela Foundation
The Nelson Mandela Foundation is a nonprofit organisation founded by Nelson Mandela in 1999 to promote Mandela's vision of freedom and equality for all. The chairman is Naledi Pandor. And the CEO is Dr. Mbongiseni Buthelezi.
Vision
The visi ...
. In May 2011, she became a global ambassador for the Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 172 countries. Special Ol ...
, promoting 'respect and inclusion' for people with intellectual disabilities worldwide. She has stated that the movement is close to her heart as a former athlete and values its role in "using the power of sport to change lives". In July 2011, she became a co-patron of Giving Organizations Trust, a group of South African charities that work with AIDS, underprivileged children, and environmentalism. Princess Charlene is a trustee of the Princess Grace Foundation-USA and attends their annual awards ceremony.
Charlene regularly participates in fundraising events for amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. She is currently the honorary president of Monaco Against Autism. In 2012, she became the patron of AS Rugby Monaco and also the honorary president of Monaco Liver Disorder and the MONAA association. In October 2012, she accompanied the Prince on a visit to Warsaw
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
, Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. In 2014, Charlene was the recipient of the Champion of Children Award for her commitment to children's rights, presented by the Colleagues, a social services institution. In 2016, she become the patron of the South African Red Cross Society on its 68th anniversary. In September 2016, Charlene attended World First Aid Day in Geneva as an ambassador for the event.
The Princess created the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation in December 2012, with a mission to put an end to drowning using childhood awareness and preventative measures. In September 2014, she formally presented her foundation at the 10th Annual Clinton Global Initiative Meeting in New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. In November 2015, Charlene partnered with the Pontifical Council
A pontifical council was a mid-sized department or dicastery of the Roman Curia, the central organization responsible for assisting the Pope in the governance and oversight of the Catholic Church. Such a council had a cardinal or archbishop a ...
and attended the 20th Annual Conference for Healthcare Workers at the Vatican
Vatican may refer to:
Geography
* Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy
* Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City
* Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome
* Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...
, where she spoke about efforts against the global drowning epidemic. In June 2020, the Foundation made masks for residents of Monaco amidst COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. In October 2020, Charlene undertook a trip to Tbilisi
Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...
, Georgia, on behalf of the Foundation. She visited the Olympic Village and sports facilities in conjunction with government officials, and later donated a travel bus to the Tbilisi Rugby Club Team. She also took meetings with Paralympic athletes and visited the Ai la foundation, a rehabilitation centre for children with hearing loss. She attended lunch with Salome Zourabichvili
Salomé Nino Zourabichvili (born 18March 1952) is a French-born Georgian politician, former diplomat, and the fifth president of Georgia – the first female to be elected as president in the country's history. As a result of the constitutiona ...
, the president of Georgia
The president of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს პრეზიდენტი, tr) is the ceremonial head of state of Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U ...
, at the Presidential Palace of Georgia, discussing diplomatic and philanthropic matters.
In January 2024, Charlene became the honorary president of Pink Ribbon Monaco, a campaign for the fight against breast cancer. In June 2024, Charlene was announced as one of the torchbearers for the Monégasque delegation at the Summer Olympics in Paris. A month later, Princess Charlene and Prince Albert visited Paris to attend the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Health
In May 2021, while on a trip to raise awareness about the issue of rhinoceros poaching in Southern Africa, Princess Charlene caught an ear, nose, and throat infection. She had a sinus lift
Maxillary sinus floor augmentation (also known as a sinus lift, sinus graft, sinus augmentation, or sinus procedure) is a Surgery, surgical procedure to increase the amount of bone in the upper back part of the jaw (Commonly used terms of relat ...
and bone grafting
Bone grafting is a type of transplantation used to replace missing bone tissue or stimulate the healing of fractures. This surgical procedure is useful for repairing bone fractures that are extremely complex, pose a significant health risk to the ...
procedure earlier in the spring. The condition led to problems with equalising pressure and prevented her from flying above 20,000 feet. She missed a scheduled appearance at the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix, as she was unable to travel back to Monaco. After multiple procedures, Charlene was medically advised to remain in South Africa, away from her family. Subsequently, she missed the tenth anniversary commemorations of her marriage in June, which Charlene stated was "extremely difficult" and saddened her. In August 2021, she underwent a four-hour surgery that required general anesthetic. In September 2021, she was hospitalised again because of a "medical emergency" pertaining to ENT complications. On 8 October 2021, it was announced that she had undergone a final procedure. She returned to Monaco on 8 November 2021.
On 16 November 2021, the palace announced that Charlene would be resting and that she had cancelled all her activities, including those of Monaco's national celebrations, owing to ill-health, especially "deep fatigue". It was reported that she would spend her recovery period in a location outside Monaco. After a four-month stay at a Swiss clinic, the palace stated in March 2022 that Charlene was back in Monaco with her family and was expected to restart her duties gradually as her health further improved.
In June 2022, Charlene tested positive for COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
and began self-isolation in accordance with health rules.
Titles, styles and honours
Titles and styles
Since her marriage, Charlene has been styled as "Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco", and bears the historical titles of her husband in the feminine.
Honours
National honours
* :
**
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint-Charles
The Order of Saint Charles (; Monégasque: ''U̍rdine de San Carlu'') is a dynastic order of knighthood established in Monaco on 15 March 1858.
Award
This order rewards service to the State or Prince. In particular cases, it may be grante ...
** Recipient of the Medal for Physical Education and Sports, First Class
Foreign honours
* : Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...
* : Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
The Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland () is a Polish order of merit created in 1974, awarded to persons who have rendered great service to Poland. It is granted to foreigners or Poles resident abroad. As such, it is sometimes referred to as ...
* : Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Italy
The Order of the Star of Italy ( ) is an Italian order of chivalry that was founded in 2011. The order was reformed from the 1947 Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity by the 11th President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano. The emphasis of the ...
** : Dame Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Order of Saint JohnHistoires Royales
/ref>
Arms and emblems
Notes
References
External links
at the official website of the Princely Family of Monaco
Princess Charlene
at the official website of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation
*
{{Authority control
1978 births
Living people
People from Bulawayo
Princesses by marriage
People from Benoni, South Africa
South African emigrants to Monaco
South African people of Irish descent
South African people of British descent
White Rhodesian people
Zimbabwean exiles
Zimbabwean emigrants to South Africa
South African people of German descent
South African people of English descent
Princesses of Monaco
South African female backstroke swimmers
South African female breaststroke swimmers
White Zimbabwean sportspeople
Commonwealth Games silver medallists for South Africa
Olympic swimmers for South Africa
South African Roman Catholics
Converts to Roman Catholicism from Protestantism
Swimmers at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Swimmers at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games silver medallists in swimming
South African female models
South African female freestyle swimmers
Monegasque Roman Catholics
Naturalized citizens of Monaco
Monegasque people of German descent
Monegasque people of English descent
Monegasque people of Irish descent
Monegasque princesses
Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint-Charles
Recipients of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour
Royal Olympic participants
African Games gold medalists for South Africa
African Games silver medalists for South Africa
Competitors at the 1999 All-Africa Games
Medallists at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
African Games silver medalists in swimming
African Games gold medalists in swimming